Events
Featured Event
MassQ Ball 2022: Origin
Convene in our collections to celebrate what makes us both unique and unified. A MassQ is a ritual application of paint to the face in order to reveal one's inner state of being. MassQing derives from the ancient tradition of body decoration practiced by nearly every indigenous culture on earth. Join us for this intergenerational, cross-cultural exhibition of the arts and interact with the landscape in new, creative ways.
All events at the Arboretum are free. We welcome people of all abilities and are committed to facilitating a safe and engaging experience for all who visit. To view our accessibility practices, please visit our Accessibility page. To request services such as an interpreter, wheelchair, or other assistance prior to attending an event, please contact us as soon as you register.
Upcoming Events
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May 01Jun 25
Art Show | Stoneroot Epistle
In this mother-daughter book collaboration in our Hunnewell Visitor Center, Joyce and Daina Swagerty contemplate our capacity for wonder through the lens of an acorn through the seasons. Select pages of vivid imagery and inspirational poetry offer a layered landscape exploring the movement of universal journey. (Image detail copyright Daina Swagerty.)
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May 02Jun 30
Guided Tours
Join us for a walk through the Arboretum! Tour seasonal plant highlights and learn about Arboretum history from a trained docent.
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Jun 03Jul 25
Art Show | Meaningful Beauty: The Vibrant Vocabulary of Honeysuckles
This multimedia exhibition highlights the genus Lonicera (honeysuckle). Wendy Clement combines her Arboretum research on honeysuckle with the design initiatives of Chris Ault’s Interactive Multimedia class at The College of New Jersey, bringing an exciting insight into how plants use visual signals to communicate with the world around them.
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Jun 26
MassQ Ball 2022: Origin | Making of Ceremonial Vessels
Led by Bengali culture worker Pampi, this audience participatory workshop allows attendees to weave love letters into hand-crafted ceremonial vessels for their loved ones. Vessel will be fashioned out of natural materials sourced from the grounds of the Arboretum and displayed in the MassQ Ball on July 9.
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Jun 26
Family Twilight Bat Walk
The bats are back from their wintering grounds! Bring your family and join researcher Christina DeJoseph for a twilight bat walk around Peters Hill. Learn about ongoing bat research at the Arboretum, and use specialized monitoring equipment to look for bats!
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Jun 27Sep 05
Art Show | The Art of Nature/The Nature of Art
This unique show brings together 14 book artists from the New England Book Artists organization who use the framework of a book to create a vision of nature. Works of art fold, accordion, and display cut-outs, treating the traditional art world of two-dimensions as something permeable, and the traditional book world as a place of personal discovery and reverence. (Left image: "Clematis" detail, Rebecca Goodale; Right image: "View From the Window" detail, Annie Lee-Zimerle)
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Jul 07
Bonsai and Penjing Information
Visit the Bonsai and Penjing Pavilion from 11am–1pm to learn about this collection of historic trees from our knowledgeable docents.
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Jul 10
Bonsai and Penjing Information
Visit the Bonsai and Penjing Pavilion from 11am–1pm to learn about this collection of historic trees from our knowledgeable docents.
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Jul 14
Bonsai and Penjing Information
Visit the Bonsai and Penjing Pavilion from 11am–1pm to learn about this collection of historic trees from our knowledgeable docents.
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Jul 24
Bonsai and Penjing Information
Visit the Bonsai and Penjing Pavilion from 11am–1pm to learn about this collection of historic trees from our knowledgeable docents.
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Jul 29Oct 02
Art Show | Tree Ring Histories: The Quilts of Anna Von Mertens
Working with international dendrochronologists, Anna Von Mertens culled source images of tree ring cross-sections from studies connecting climate variability and periods of human instability. The events represented in her quilts correlate to periods of drought recorded by the tree rings. Fading thread colors mirror and highlight historical events.
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Aug 12
Oaks and Hickories Tour
Stay cool under the soaring canopies of our oak and hickory collections. Join a staff expert for a tour of one of the oldest areas of the Arboretum, and enjoy the shade of some of our most venerable specimens.
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Sep 13
Director’s Series | Journeys: The Arnold Arboretum Meets the World’s Plants and Peoples
Join the Arnold Arboretum’s Director William (Ned) Friedman for the annual Director’s Series! To celebrate the Arboretum’s sesquicentennial, this year’s series will explore the Magic and Meaning of a Garden of Trees. Over the course of four sessions, we will trace the Arnold’s significance in the landscape architecture movement, value for the people of Boston, and leadership in creating global connections between plants and people. This session will consist of brief presentations and a moderated panel. The program is free and will be offered both in person and livestreamed.
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Sep 17
Abilities Dance Boston
Join Abilities Dance Boston as it shines in the Arboretum landscape. The trailblazing company will bring original musical scores, choreography, and audio descriptions, ASL, and CART to make the work accessible in the spirit of universal design enjoyed by all.
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Oct 07Oct 09
Art Show | The Art of the Woodturner
For the sixth year, woodturners from throughout New England will exhibit their work at the Arboretum. Using a lathe to form their pieces, woodturners create practical objects or “turn” to the purely aesthetic, resulting in a show that appeals to the eye and the touch. (Image: "Cherry Root Bowl," Steve Wiseman)
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Oct 15
Crabapple and Maple Festival
Celebrate fall color at the Arboretum! With species of maples and crabapples from around the world, the Arboretum’s autumnal palette is unrivaled. Join the festivities for a guided tour, children’s activities, and more.
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Oct 21Feb 12
Art Show | Intricate Beauties: The Lichen-Embossed Ceramics of Natalie Andrew
Ceramics provide a vehicle for Natalie Andrew’s exploration into the sublime aesthetics inherent in lichen. An artist and a biologist, Andrew was permitted by the Arboretum’s curation department to obtain lichen specimens from our collections. The resulting works highlight the texture and depth of lichen against the flat, matte surface of ceramic.
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Oct 25
Director’s Series | Obsessions: Fellow Organisms in the Arnold Arboretum
Join the Arnold Arboretum’s Director William (Ned) Friedman for the annual Director’s Series! To celebrate the Arboretum’s sesquicentennial, this year’s series will explore the Magic and Meaning of a Garden of Trees. Over the course of four sessions, we will trace the Arnold’s significance in the landscape architecture movement, value for the people of Boston, and leadership in creating global connections between plants and people. This session will be a talk from the Director. The program is free and will be offered both in person and livestreamed.